Pediatric Allergy Center at the University Federico II of Naples
Centro di Allergologia Pediatrica dell’Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria “Federico II” di Napoli
Location: Naples, Italy
COE since 2025
Website: www.centroallergologiapediatrica.it
Description: The Pediatric Allergy Comprehensive Education, Treatment and Support Program at the Department of Translational Medical Science of the University Federico II of Naples is one of the largest providers of pediatric allergy in Europe with more than 4,500 pediatric patients visiting the Center yearly (https://centroallergologiapediatrica.it/). The Program is accredited as the Pediatric Allergy Reference Center by the Italian Society of Allergy and Pediatric Immunology (SIAIP) (http://centri.siaip.it/). The clinical activities at the Program are provided by a multidisciplinary team involving >20 staff members including Pediatricians, Allergists, Immunologists, Dietitians, Nutritionists, Dermatologist, Neuropsychiatrist, Otolaryngologists, Gastroenterologists, Pneumologists, and Research Nurses with an extensive experience in the management of pediatric allergic diseases.
The Center offers all facilities for diagnosing and managing pediatric allergic diseases, including: inpatients and outpatients’ clinics; telemedicine service; allergy screening tests; oral food challenge procedures; molecular allergy tests; basophil and mastocytes activation tests; Cytokines assay; epigenetic analyses; GI function tests and endoscopy; bronchoscopy; TC and RM; nasal cytology; spirometry; oxide nitric measurement; devices for inducible urticaria diagnosis; transepidermal water loss measurement; nutritional status assessment (Bioelectrical impedance analysis, BOD POD, DEXA evaluation) and basal metabolism (indirect calorimetry); advanced glycation end products (AGEs) reader, and innovative therapeutic strategies with biologics and advanced immunotherapy programs.
The Center is also equipped by a modern biobank for the storage of biological samples (including urine, faeces, saliva, plasma/serum, peripheral blood mononuclear cells) from allergic and healthy children and all clinical and anamnestic data. The biobank is also equipped for the storage of breastmilk samples collected from lactating mothers of healthy or allergic infants.
The Center is also equipped by a Clinical Trial Unit (CTU). The CTU coordinates and provides support at each step of the clinical trials, from study design to execution, to final reporting and publication of results. The CTU involves also the Data Analysis Team, composed by expert bioinformatics and mathematics and is equipped with the latest software and hardware for the collection, storing and data analysis including the state-of-the art of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. More than 10 Clinical trials are conducted every year at the Center.
Parallelly, several basic research activities are performed at the Program. The core of basic science research activities is performed at the ImmunoNutritionLab (http://www.immunonutritionlab.com) dedicated to the investigation of all aspects of allergic diseases, with the aim to move disease biology from the laboratory to clinical practice. The ImmunoNutritionLab is certified by the Joint Commission International and ISO 9001:2015 certifications. The ImmunoNutritionLab Team is composed by more than 20 staff members including specialized biologists, biotechnologists, microbiologists, geneticists, chemists, pathologists, and laboratory technicians.
The main areas under investigation are genetic and epigenetics of allergic diseases, immune tolerance mechanisms, pathogenesis of non-IgE-mediated food allergies and eosinophilic GI disorders, UPF role in facilitating the occurrence of allergic diseases, role of epithelial barrier in allergic diseases, obesity and allergy links, microbiome role in allergy, biotics role in preventing and treating allergic diseases, immunonutrition, biologic drugs, and anaphylaxis. The research activities on gut microbiome involve the state-of-the-art technologies for the study of the metagenomic and metabolomic features, and the use of the artificial gut microbiome system (SHIME). All studies are connected with the activities of the “Microbiome Task force” (www.TFM.UNINA.it) and TH2 diseases Task Force of the University Federico II of Naples, two collective and multidisciplinary initiatives bringing together facilities from 14 different Departments and expertise from more than 100 staff scientists. The Center is deeply engaged in advocacy and community education activities aimed at improving the health status and quality of life of children with allergies and raising awareness within the broader community.
Location: Naples, Italy
COE since 2025
Website: www.centroallergologiapediatrica.it
Description: The Pediatric Allergy Comprehensive Education, Treatment and Support Program at the Department of Translational Medical Science of the University Federico II of Naples is one of the largest providers of pediatric allergy in Europe with more than 4,500 pediatric patients visiting the Center yearly (https://centroallergologiapediatrica.it/). The Program is accredited as the Pediatric Allergy Reference Center by the Italian Society of Allergy and Pediatric Immunology (SIAIP) (http://centri.siaip.it/). The clinical activities at the Program are provided by a multidisciplinary team involving >20 staff members including Pediatricians, Allergists, Immunologists, Dietitians, Nutritionists, Dermatologist, Neuropsychiatrist, Otolaryngologists, Gastroenterologists, Pneumologists, and Research Nurses with an extensive experience in the management of pediatric allergic diseases.
The Center offers all facilities for diagnosing and managing pediatric allergic diseases, including: inpatients and outpatients’ clinics; telemedicine service; allergy screening tests; oral food challenge procedures; molecular allergy tests; basophil and mastocytes activation tests; Cytokines assay; epigenetic analyses; GI function tests and endoscopy; bronchoscopy; TC and RM; nasal cytology; spirometry; oxide nitric measurement; devices for inducible urticaria diagnosis; transepidermal water loss measurement; nutritional status assessment (Bioelectrical impedance analysis, BOD POD, DEXA evaluation) and basal metabolism (indirect calorimetry); advanced glycation end products (AGEs) reader, and innovative therapeutic strategies with biologics and advanced immunotherapy programs.
The Center is also equipped by a modern biobank for the storage of biological samples (including urine, faeces, saliva, plasma/serum, peripheral blood mononuclear cells) from allergic and healthy children and all clinical and anamnestic data. The biobank is also equipped for the storage of breastmilk samples collected from lactating mothers of healthy or allergic infants.
The Center is also equipped by a Clinical Trial Unit (CTU). The CTU coordinates and provides support at each step of the clinical trials, from study design to execution, to final reporting and publication of results. The CTU involves also the Data Analysis Team, composed by expert bioinformatics and mathematics and is equipped with the latest software and hardware for the collection, storing and data analysis including the state-of-the art of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. More than 10 Clinical trials are conducted every year at the Center.
Parallelly, several basic research activities are performed at the Program. The core of basic science research activities is performed at the ImmunoNutritionLab (http://www.immunonutritionlab.com) dedicated to the investigation of all aspects of allergic diseases, with the aim to move disease biology from the laboratory to clinical practice. The ImmunoNutritionLab is certified by the Joint Commission International and ISO 9001:2015 certifications. The ImmunoNutritionLab Team is composed by more than 20 staff members including specialized biologists, biotechnologists, microbiologists, geneticists, chemists, pathologists, and laboratory technicians.
The main areas under investigation are genetic and epigenetics of allergic diseases, immune tolerance mechanisms, pathogenesis of non-IgE-mediated food allergies and eosinophilic GI disorders, UPF role in facilitating the occurrence of allergic diseases, role of epithelial barrier in allergic diseases, obesity and allergy links, microbiome role in allergy, biotics role in preventing and treating allergic diseases, immunonutrition, biologic drugs, and anaphylaxis. The research activities on gut microbiome involve the state-of-the-art technologies for the study of the metagenomic and metabolomic features, and the use of the artificial gut microbiome system (SHIME). All studies are connected with the activities of the “Microbiome Task force” (www.TFM.UNINA.it) and TH2 diseases Task Force of the University Federico II of Naples, two collective and multidisciplinary initiatives bringing together facilities from 14 different Departments and expertise from more than 100 staff scientists. The Center is deeply engaged in advocacy and community education activities aimed at improving the health status and quality of life of children with allergies and raising awareness within the broader community.